December 6, 2017
CSUB Athletics changes conference Page 9
Breathe Freely campaign a success Page 4
Runner Games
page 6
California State University, Bakersfield
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THE BIG STORY
Campus crime concerns are varied Students have mixed feelings regarding safety By Runa Lemminn and Christopher Mateo The Runner Staff Students who live off campus feel CSU Bakersfield is very safe. And if they looked at the Clery Report, a federally mandated report of crimes that happen on campus, they would see a lot of zeros and still feel that this campus is very safe. However, crime happens here, a lot more than the campus reports. Students that live in on-campus housing are some of the first to say the campus has safety issues. Susana Garcia, a sophomore biology major who lives off campus, said she used to hesitate walking to her car at night during her first year at CSUB. She no longer does, however. “I feel pretty safe,” said Garcia. CSUB’s University Police Lt. Kenny Williams is the designated officer with Clery responsibilities. Williams said the CSUB Clery-reportable crime rate is extremely low, compared to some of the other campuses in California. Williams said as far as incoming orientations, students are not made aware that there is a Clery Report. Only a portion of the crimes that actually happen on campus
make it into the Clery, because only some crimes are required to be reported. This includes major offenses, plus some minor offenses such as liquor and drug violations. For example, car break-ins are not a Clery reportable crime. This puts the crime rate in a very misleading light. The only realistic view of actual campus crimes is the Campus Crime Log, which is kept by UPD, and which any student or member of the general public can ask to see. By law, an individual must be allowed to see the Crime Log when they request it. The Crime Log is not inclusive of all crimes occurring on campus. A crime has to be reported to make it onto the log, and not all crimes, from stolen backpacks and car burglaries to sexual assaults, are reported. Williams said incoming students are made aware of services UPD offers. Keri Alexander, a junior majoring in sociology and minoring in criminology, said she was not made aware of services the UPD offers when she came to CSUB. “Honestly, I don’t have a clue where to go if I was the victim of a crime. I’m a transfer student,” said Alexander. Students living in Student Housing on campus have a
Ilustration by Kristin Parulan/The Runner Housing East on the afternoon of Dec. 2. “If you look around, there’s no officers,” said Luna. “Last year, a girl got molested here and it was by guys that didn’t live on campus or go to school here. And then they called
very different view of the crime rate and security on CSUB’s campus, regardless of what’s happening on other campuses in California. Alexander and Moises Luna, a sophomore majoring in criminal justice, sat outside Student
UPD and by the time they got here, (the guys) were already gone.” Under current Clery rules, the scenario Luna described would not show up on the CSUB Clery Report if the victim opted to receive confidential
counseling instead of formally reporting the incident. It might show up however on a different annual report issued by Title IX Coordinator Claudia Catota, if the victim decided to talk to her.
CRIME
Different reports reflect different safety objectives By Runa Lemminn News Editor
There are two separate reports that CSU Bakersfield students, faculty and staff can turn to regarding campus crime. One is called the Clery Report and is also referred to as the Annual Security Report. The other is the Title IX Report. While both reports show crimes affecting CSUB students, the similarity ends there. The Clery Report is a federally mandated annual report on major crimes happening on any campus property nationwide, including any off-campus properties owned by each university. The Title IX Report is a CSU Chancellor mandated annual report and covers all sexually related complaints concerning any CSU student or staff on or off campus property. Neither report covers 100 percent of all crimes within its designated parameters, since not all crimes that happen are reported. Also, the federal government and the California State University system have different methods of tracking crime numbers on university cam-
puses. Unfortunately, students are not always aware of these reports. They are also unaware of their options, should they become a victim of a crime. Victoria Vandehoef, a junior majoring in kinesiology, said she didn’t know of any options as far as where to go get help on campus, except the police. “I would just go to UPD,” said Vandehoef. The Clery Report
The Clery Report is named after Jeane Clery, a 19-year-old college student, who was raped and murdered in her dorm room at Lehigh University by another student. Her parents campaigned for years for the public to have a way to know if violent crimes were being committed on all college campuses. Finally, federal lawmakers passed the Clery Act, which mandates that every university and college in the United States publish an annual report on the crimes committed on campus. This report does not contain every crime, however. The Clery only reflects serious crimes committed on univer-
What’s in the Numbers?
Taking a closer look at CSUB’s two crime reports The Clery Report What it is: • Mandated by the federal government • Reporting period is Jan. 1 - Dec. 31 • Crimes occur on campus or on university property • Victims and/or perpetrators are students only • All types of major crimes Number of incidents reported in 2016: • Dating violence - 1 • Domestic violence - 0 • Fondling - 4 • Rape - 0 • Stalking - 0 • Motor vehicle theft - 2 • Robbery - 0 www.csub.edu/compliance/Clery/index.html
sity property. This includes any off-campus property, such as apartments owned by the university, or land. Reportable crimes include murder, rape, motor vehicle theft, burglary, and arson. Other crime categories include liquor or weapons law arrests.
If a serious crime is committed by a student off campus property, it will not show up in the Clery. When Clery reports are compared between campuses, it is important to know how much property each campus owns, as well as what overall percentage
The Title IX Report What it is: • Mandated by the CSU Chancellor • Reporting period is July 1-June 30 • Crimes occur anywhere, on- or off-campus • Victims and/or perpetrators are students, staff and faculty • Sexual harrasment and sexual assault crimes only Number of incidents reported in 20162017: • Dating violence - 1 • Domestic violence - 6 • Sexual misconduct - 12 • Stalking - 1 www.csub.edu/compliance/_files/annual_titleix_report.pdf
of students living on campus property. Crime numbers are greatly affected by these numbers. CSUB has a small campus and currently does not own any off-campus properties. It also has a small percentage of students living in Student
Housing, compared to many other CSUs in California. Because of this the Clery crime numbers are extremely low for CSUB. Numbers are compiled with data from several different offices at CSUB. See CRIME, Page 2
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News
December 6, 2017
Who to go to if you’re a victim of crime
Claudia Catota Equity, Inclusion, and Compliance & Title IX Coordinator Phone: (661) 654 -2137 E-Mail: catota@csub.edu Location: Office of the President
Vanessa Corona Campus Advocate Phone: (661) 654 -6210 E-Mail: advocate@csub.edu Location: Rohan Hall Room 102
Marty Williamson Chief of Police for University Police Department Phone: (661) 654 -2677 E-Mail: mwilliamson@csub.edu Location: Campus Police Department
CAMPUS
ASI tackles advising issues By Sonia Lemus Assistant News Editor Over 40 complaints about advising were gathered by Associated Students Inc. and brought to Vernon Harper, the associate vice president for Academic Programs. ASI President Mariela Gomez asked ASI to help her gather student complaints regarding advising, so she could present them to Jenny Zorn, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs . However, Zorn was unable to meet with her. She sent her to Harper. Gomez said she and Harper went over every complaint and discussed what changes could be made for the upcoming semesters. “I understand that all of you [administrators] know what is going on [regarding advising], but I feel like you need the student perspective. You need to hear these stories and identify these themes, and we need to work on a plan moving forward because we need some changes for the spring semester,” said Gomez, “ I told Dr. Harper, very clearly, I am not here to just complain, I am here to develop some solutions.” Harper said that Zorn is aware that there are advising issues and is looking to host a campus conversation for the spring semester. She wants to hear from the whole campus community to help her implement some solutions. The Psychology Club asked ASI for $1,405. They recently held their event “Out of Darkness” on Nov. 20 in the Stockdale Room in the Runner Café. Because it was held in the Stockdale Room, catering had to be provided by Aramark. The Psychology Club has held the event annually since 2011, a total of about 180 people attended the event.
Next in the meeting, ASI granted the Psychology Club the desired $1,405, saying that the event was very important and helpful for students struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts. ASI has given about $14,000 in aid helping 17 clubs and still has about $25,000 remaining. The idea of an economy parking pass and valet parking was also considered. An economy pass would be available for students for about half the price of a regular parking pass with designated areas for students with that pass. Valet parking would be a way for students to cut the time trying to find parking and walking to campus by having a valet park their car. Both ideas were suggested as potential solutions for the ongoing parking issues. The opening of the new Starbucks has been pushed back since the fire marshal did not like the door on the glass wall that would separate Starbucks and the bookstore. A new wall and door have been ordered and will arrive in the beginning of January. The opening is now expected to be Jan. 22. The Starbucks will be like a typical Starbucks shop, and it will have patio seating. Over 250 students have taken ASI’s Barriers of Graduation survey. The survey was sent to both CSU Bakersfield and Antelope Valley and has shown that some of the issues ASI thought were important are actually not issues. The information students have been providing is very useful in tackling the problems students face when it comes to graduation. The soft launch of the CSUB Mobile App is set for Jan. 9. Marley’s Mutts will be on campus on Dec. 14 to help students relieve some stress during finals week.
SAFETY
Students concerned about on campus housing security [FROM SAFETY, Page 1] Students are largely unaware of where they can go to find crime data for CSUB. Garcia, Alexander, and Luna were all unaware of the Clery. Luna was the only one familiar with the annual Title IX Campus Report. “We would like to do more than [what’s required] in Clery, and send out bulletins,” said Williams. Williams said if a significant crime occurs on campus, UPD Chief Williamson determines if the Bakersfield Police Department gets involved. The UPD website states “The CSUB University Police Department is dedicated to ensuring the safest possible environment for our students, faculty, staff, and visitors.” A vital part of ensuring a safe environment for people is to make sure the word gets out regarding options for reporting crimes, and to provide on-going training for students, faculty and staff on campus. CSUB lists several programs for students in the Clery Report. The problem is that students are unaware of the programs. “I know about UPD, and that’s about it,” said Luna. “There’s
like no protection, especially there’s no security,” said Luna. at night there’s cars driving by “Anyone can walk into the really reckless what if they hit dorms,” said Alexander. somebody?” Luna and Alexander had CSUB’s Clery report states suggestions for ways that “Doors to security could student housbe improved at ing faciliStudent Housing “There’s no protec- East. One idea ties remain tion here, there’s no was having UPD locked and can only be more visible security.” accessed around student with a key housing, espeor Runner cially patrolling Moises Luna, Card. Access regular or fresophomore criminal at to University quent intervals justice major housing is at night. limited to Security camerresidents, as posted in obescorted vious locations guests, and around campus selected staff. Entry to Student and campus housing would be Housing is monitored on a very helpful. A security guard 24-hour basis cooperatively at housing would be a huge with on-duty Residential Life plus. personnel and police depart“I feel like there should alment employees.” ways be a security guard someThis has not been the experiwhere in the dorms. There’s a ence of either Luna or Alexlot of people that wait and don’t ander, however. Both said that have a key, but no one asks anyone can just walk into the them ‘Oh, do you go here, or housing on campus, behind do you have an I.D.,’ they just them when they open the door, open the door and people just whether or not the individual go in,” said Alexander. is a student at CSUB, and it While there is a yellow emerhappens very often. gency station out in front of “There’s no protection here, student housing east, Alexander
said that is not going to help when a student is being victimized inside. The university has programs in place, but students are unaware of these programs, for the most part. Williams also said the UPD offers services to students that most people are unaware of, such as offering a jump service for dead batteries. “We would like to do more than what’s required in Clery, and send out bulletins,” said Williams. Some universities go so far as to list their programs for crime awareness in their Clery reports as well as what dates the training is held, what is taught, and how many people attend. Catota said that one concern with doing that in CSUB’s Clery is that they want to keep the Clery short so that it is less intimidating. The theory is that if there are too many pages in the Clery, people will feel intimidated and not want to open it and look at it. “We have a very good process for going through and complying with the Clery,” said Williams. The U.S. Department of Education audits the Clery Reports.
CRIME
Title IX report tracks sexual misconduct [FROM CRIME, Page 1] The report states “the ASR is prepared in collaboration with Student Housing and Residence Life, Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities, Human Resources, Office of the Provost, Student Affairs, and local law enforcement agencies. Each department or entity provides updated information to UPD and the Office of the President for the University to comply with the Clery Act.” Lieutenant Kenny Williams of CSUB’s university police compiles the numbers of cases that fall into every category. Williams said it’s a painstaking process, and involves a lot of double checking regarding if a crime is Clery reportable. “We have a very good process for going through and complying with the Clery,” said Williams. Before submitting the report, Williams and Claudia Catota, CSUB’s Title IX Coordinator, go over the numbers. Catota and Williams both have decision-making authority regarding what goes into the Clery Report. When there are issues as far as how something should be classified, they can refer to the Clery handbook, which is provided as a guideline for university personnel to use.
THE RUNNER Volume 43, Issue 8
The Runner California State University, Bakersfield 9001 Stockdale Hwy. Bakersfield, CA 93311-1099 Telephone: 661-654-2165 Email: therunner.online@ gmail.com therunneronline.com ADVISER
Jennifer Burger jburger1@csub.edu
“We may disagree, but it depends on what we see in the handbook,” said Catota. The Title IX Report CSUs are mandated by the Chancellor’s office to use a Title IX-related report. Catota said the purpose of the report was to get an idea of what was actually happening on campuses. The Chancellor wanted to see how campuses are responding to sexual misconduct and / or assault. The Title IX Report is located under “Gender, Equity & Inclusion” of CSUB’s website, and is a record of all Title IX-related complaints (sexual harassment) committed against any CSUB student. This category includes domestic violence, dating violence, and other sexual misconduct. The report also details what actions were taken to address the complaint. The Title IX report only reflects the reports that the campus Title IX coordinator is aware of. So if a victim receives confidential counseling or treatment somewhere and chooses not to make the Title IX coordinator aware of the crime, it will not show up in the report. Vanessa Corona, the CSUB campus advocate and education
coordinator, is made aware of some sexual crimes involving students as well. However, because Corona’s service is confidential, Corona’s numbers are confidential. The only way an incident would be reported on the Title IX report is if that student wanted to move forward and report it to Catota. “If a student directly comes over here, or Vanessa brings the student here, it would be reported,” said Catota. For example, if a student is sexually assaulted at the Park at Riverwalk and reports the assault to Claudia Catota, CSUB’s Title IX coordinator, the assault will be on record. This is regardless of whether charges are pressed or the police get involved. It would not be on record for the Clery, however, since it happened off-campus. Catota said if someone wants to file a report with the university, there is no statute of limitations as to when they can file. Sometimes it can months after the incident before she hears about it. “Some of the cases we get, they are not recent incidents, because people are still grappling with what happened,” said Catota. Options for crime victims
editorial staff EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Christopher Mateo
PODCAST EDITOR Olivia Kalahar
MANAGING EDITOR DIGITAL Paul Lopez
PHOTO EDITOR Jarad Mann
BUSINESS MANAGER Elise Fitzpatrick NEWS EDITOR Runa Lemminn FEATURES EDITOR Veronica Morley SPORTS EDITOR Peter Castillo OPINIONS EDITOR Alee Gonzalez
MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Brenda Gonzalez COPY CHIEF Shelby Brown ADVERTISING MANAGER Hugo A. Hernandez WEB EDITOR Roxana Flores DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Rebecca Levy
Students have several options when they are targets of a crime on any CSU campus. If it’s a Title IX related crime, even if the victim doesn’t feel strong enough to pursue charges immediately, the victim can get confidential counseling, as well as a rape kit to preserve any evidence. That way, even if the student waits for years to come forward, the evidence will be available. There is currently no statute of limitations for reporting a rape in California. “Coming from where it was that first year, we’ve seen definitely an increase in reporting. But I think a lot of it has to do with now we have people in place that students and faculty and staff can go to and report, or at least get options,” said Catota. CSUB students are still not always aware of what their options are. Susana Garcia, a sophomore biology major, said she didn’t know of any people or programs that she could contact, other than UPD. “I would just call the campus police,” said Garcia. The victim of a crime does not have to involve UPD or any police if they do not want to.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Send letters to therunner.online@gmail. com. All letters must be signed and verified and be no more than 300 words in length. Letters may be edited for clarity and length.
ABOUT
The Runner is a laboratory newspaper published biweekly, in conjuction with the Communications Department at California State University, Bakersfield.
DISCLAIMERS
Views and opinions expressed in The Runner are not necessarily those of the editors, staff or the Communications Department. The stafff of The Runner reserves the right to refuse or omit any advertising or material which advocates illegal activity, or which may be considered libelous, irresponsible or tasteless.
COPYRIGHT
Copyright belongs to the Communications Department at California State University, Bakersfield.
December 6, 2017
CSUB Crime Log Crimes from Nov. 12- Nov. 21, 2017
News
STUDENT RIGHTS
3
Censorship shall not pass at CSUB
Fight/challenge fight in a public place On Nov. 16 at 4:17 p.m. an altercation occurred on Roadrunner Drive/Camino Media, CSU. This case was ruled unfounded. On Nov. 19 at 5:58 p.m. a fight was reported in the Runner Café. This case has no disposition.
Hit and run property damage On Nov. 15 at 3:13 p.m. a hit and run was reported in parking lot G. This case is pending additional leads. On Nov. 21 at 3:51 p.m. property damage was reported in parking lot H. This is pending additional leads.
Outside agency warrant (misdemeanor) On Nov. 18 at 11:59 p.m. an arrest was made at CSU Bakersfield’s GET BUS turn around. On Nov. 20 at 6:56 p.m. a citation was made in parking lot G.
Petty theft On Nov. 13 at 12:05 p.m. a petty theft was reported in the Fine Arts building. This is pending additional leads. On Nov. 13 at 12:45 p.m. a second petty theft was reported at CSU Bakersfield’s Walter W. Stiern Library. This case is pending additional leads. On Nov. 13 at 5:06 p.m. an additional petty theft occurred in the Walter W. Stiern Library. This is pending additional leads. Contact UPD at 661-654-2677 or visit http://www.csub.edu/bas/police/ if you or any others in the community have any further information on the above pending cases or non-reported crimes that you would like to be investigated.
CSUB’s Walter W. Stiern Library features a display of book art in its main lobby area. By Alexis Redding Reporter The American Library Association’s (ALA) Banned Books Week supports First Amendment rights, taking a stand on literature censorship and the freedom to read. Banned Books Week is a celebration that was first launched in 1982 by the ALA. Students, staff and administrators at CSU Bakersfield don’t officially celebrate Banned Books Week or have a history of challenging or banning publications. Several literary works from ALA’s Banned Books Week 2017 list are available for check out at CSUB’s Walter W. Stiern Library. Gabby Rios, a sophomore nursing major at CSUB, chooses to read books that interest her in between classes.
“I think a person decides what they want to read. So basically, if I want to read that, then I should have the right to read it,” said Rios. The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution ensures that citizens cannot be controlled by limiting information that is available to the public. Stephanie Flores, a junior criminal justice major, noted how the freedom to read is treated by students today. “I don’t think we should have the right. Well, we should, but at the same time, we shouldn’t. A lot of people don’t read stuff that they will learn from. They will only read stuff that they’re interested in,” said Flores. Three popular narratives that were recently considered controversial are accessible to students and faculty at CSUB’s library. These narratives
include “13 Reasons Why” by Jay Asher and “A People’s History of the United States” by Howard Zinn. Asher’s novel “13 Reasons Why” was made into a series on Netflix. However, since its release on Mar. 31, 2017, the show and the subject of teen suicide it discusses have suffered backlash from audiences. Sophomore computer science major Robert Carreno said banning the book would not make the issue of suicide go away. “I believe that the book ‘13 Reasons Why’ shouldn’t have been banned because not only is it true, that kind of stuff does happen in real life. It’s like if you try to ban the book, you are simply trying to cover up the fact that students are bullied and are committing suicide,” said Carreno. In May 2017, Zinn’s works,
Alexis Redding/The Runner including “A People’s History of the United States,” were officially banned from curriculum in public schools under a bill created by Arkansas U.S. Republican Kim Hendren. Hendren and other Arkansas lawmakers said that Zinn’s book, and many of his other public works, misrepresented American history. According to an article on Common Dreams, in response to this legislation copies were made available for 700 teachers and librarians in Arkansas who wanted to obtain a free copy of “A People’s History of the United States” for their schools. For more information about Banned Books Week, publishing censorship, or the rights we have under the First Amendment, please visit ALA’s webpage at www.ala.org.
What’s Happening Around Campus December
6 Women Rock 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. SRC
12 Study/Reading Day
7 Faculty Lecture Series: Assistant Professor of Geological Sciences, Chandranath Basak 4 p.m. SCI III, 213
14 American Migrant Stories: 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Dezember Reading Rm
13-19 Examination Period
8 Summit ESP Presentation (Society of Petroleum Engineers): 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. SCI III, 104 9
First Aid/CPR/AED Classes: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. SRC
10 Holiday Concert - Jazz Combo: 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. Albertson Rm Holiday Concert 2017 3 p.m. – 5 p.m. Dore Theatre 11 Last Day of Classes Zen Zone 10 a.m. - 11 p.m. SRC
18 Study Strong De-Stress Island: 3:30 p.m. – 5:30pm Stockdale Rm CSUB Food Distribution 2017: 7 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Stockdale Rm. 20 Bakrsfield Chinese Christmas Celebration: 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. SU MPR 125 & Blue Rm. 137 Women Rock 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. SRC 21-22 Grades Due Fall Semester Break: Dec. 25, 2017 - Jan. 18, 2018
Calendar sponsored by NSME, Student Union, School of Arts of Humanities, and the Walter Stiern Library. To be included, contact efitzpatrick@csub.edu.
Happy Holiday’s Runners!
4
Features
December 6, 2017
CLUBS
United for immigrant rights By Karin Patiño Reporter The United Now for Immigrant Rights club is back. The UNIR club is about coming together and bringing a voice for the immigrant students and the community. “We want to be the voice for students here...so by creating this club, we’re doing just that,” said club president Karina Hernandez-Sanchez, criminal justice major at CSU Bakersfield. The UNIR club ended in 2013 due to lack of membership but has now made a comeback. So, what brought the UNIR club back after four years of inactivity? The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals decision is what started it all. Back on Sept. 5, when the Justice Department announced the plan to end the DACA program, Hernandez was inspired to make a change. “I want to be a voice for those that can’t speak up. The day DACA got shut down, I went up to Professor Santos like, ‘Professor I’m done. We need to do something. Can you help me?’ And by all means, he did,” said Hernandez. The UNIR club is open to more than just undocumented students and DACA recipients. They want to reach out to anyone affected by their own immigration status, the status of their family members or friends. They hope to become a place where students can unite and feel comfortable with others that are going through the same situation. “I think it’s time that we actually get our voice heard.
Photo courtesy of Ana Chavez
The United Now for Immigrant Rights club was renewed this last semester. Next semester the club will meet on Thursdays at 4 p.m. in the DDH.
We really want to take part in going out to the community and informing people,” said Ana Chavez, business administration major at CSUB. Chavez is the current club communications coordinator and will be club president next semester. “Absolutely anybody can join UNIR club. You don’t have to be undocumented at all. If
you believe in the cause, if you believe what we’re fighting for, you are welcome to join,” she said. In their first semester back at CSUB, the UNIR club jumped right into events on campus. They shared sign-up and informational sheets at immigrant related events in the library. They held a Dream students workshop to help undocument-
ed students file their applications for financial assistance. They also held a club cocoa fundraiser where they sold hot chocolate and pan dulce, which is Mexican sweet bread. UNIR club had their last meeting of the fall semester on Nov. 30. Club meetings will restart in the spring semester on Jan. 25 and will be held Thursdays at
4 p.m. The meeting place is to be determined. Keep a lookout on their wall poster in the DDH hallway for updated information. For questions, contact club communications coordinator Brenda Jimenez at bjimenez12@csub.edu. or visit their Facebook page UNIR at CSUB.
Tax reform could potentially harm students President Trump’s promise for tax cuts by Christmas has resulted in the Republicans’ tax bill, and students at CSU Bakersfield could end up paying thousands more in taxes in 2018. Assistant Professor of economics Richard Gearhart says that CSUB graduate students will face the greatest impact on campus from the new bill. Gearhart holds a doctorate in economics from Clemson
will feel the pain. Especially if they have taken out student loans, or their parents are assisting in paying tuition. Once the bill becomes law, it will essentially cut students’ ability to deduct student loan interest from their taxable income. The repeal of the student loan interest deduction is meant to help pay the increase in the debt and the deficit by reducing itemized deductions further. Parents assisting or paying completely for tuition will be affected as well. If they reach their maximum amount of
“So let’s say you don’t pay $5000 of tuition, that’s now considered income, and you actually get taxed on that $5,000 of income.” Richard Gearhart, assistant professor of economics University and is a member of the editorial board for the Kern Economic Journal. Graduate students are eligible for partial or full tuition waivers. Under the new bill, the entire value of those waivers would be added to students’ taxable income. “So let’s say you don’t pay $5,000 of tuition, that’s now considered income, and you actually get taxed on that $5,000 of income. Which means you’ll have to pay at the end of the year 1,000 more dollars than you normally would,” said Gearhart. Graduate students will receive the hardest hit, but they will not be the only students on campus affected. Undergraduate students may not see an initial impact, but eventually they too
Smokefree this fall By Chantel Varges Reporter
U.S. POLITICS
By Veronica Morley Features Editor
HEALTH
federal student loans, they may have to take out more in private student loans. According to Gearhart, private student loans have higher interest rates, and their repayment terms are less generous and start earlier. “I think you’re going to see a lot more parents putting themselves under increasing financial burden to send their students to school or simply stating, ‘I can’t afford to.’” Students’ tuition is not the only impact this bill may have on CSUB. The Student Health Center may be burdened with treating more students due to the repeal of the individual mandate and the Affordable Care Act. Since Justice Roberts of the Supreme Court declared the in-
dividual mandate to be a tax in 2012, this repeal will inevitably lead to the death of the ACA. “You look at the Student Health Center,” said Gearhart. “They do a fantastic job, but they’re rather ill-equipped to handle a large-scale outbreak of anything. They have one doctor on call, a couple nurse practitioners. They can’t see someone easily and then what do you do with the students?” Finding out-of-state hires may be another challenge CSUB faces as a result of this bill. Professors hired from out of state receive the benefit of deducting California state and local income taxes on their federal taxes. If these deductions are cut, it will significantly lessen the desire to work here. In turn, the staff and faculty already teaching at CSUB will be stretched even further. “The lecturers, the adjuncts, the instructors, they’re teaching five to six classes to make ends meet. They might have to teach an extra class each semester to offset the tax burden. What does that do to students?” said Gearhart. Bakersfield College will also take a hit since the first two years of community college is free in California. Similarly to graduate and masters students, community college students can receive waivers to pay their tuition. Under the new bill, it could be possible that this too will be considered taxable income. It seems higher education institutions and students are getting a raw deal with this bill. “The biggest reason why?” said Gearhart, “Because college students don’t vote. Or young adults don’t vote in general, so politicians really don’t care.” Although millennials are
Photo courtesy of CSUB BPA
Richard Gearhart is the assistant professor of economics at CSUB and earned his Ph.D from Clemson University.
starting to rival the other generations in the voting age population, their turnout still lingers far below the rest. According to the Pew Research Center, in the 2016 presidential election only 49.4 percent of eligible millennials voted. This pales in comparison to the other generations whose eligible voter turnout ranged from 62 to 70 percent of their eligible voting populations. Republicans in the House of Representatives were prepared to send their bill to vote in the Senate on Nov. 30. They were, however, derailed by the the Joint Committee on Taxation. The Committee released an economic report showing that this bill would increase the overall budget deficit by $1 trillion over the next 10 years.
President Trump tweeted, “Republicans Senators are working hard to pass the biggest Tax Cuts in the history of our Country. The Bill is getting better and better. This is a once in a generation chance. Obstructionist Dems trying to block because they think it is too good and will not be given the credit!” On Dec. 1, after a number of revisions were made by the GOP to address the deficit concerns, the Senate approved the bill. In a press conference held that night by Senate Republicans, Sen. Orrin Hatch (UT) said, “This is a great achievement that will literally help millions and millions of young people in our society and our society as a whole.”
As of Sept. 1, 2017, CSU Bakersfield has been a smoke free campus, and 10 people have already quit smoking. In a memo that was sent out by President Horace Mitchell of CSUB, in the beginning of the semester, it stated, “CSU Bakersfield is committed to a healthy and pleasant environment where everyone who works and studies at our campus can breathe freely.” The change in policy was made in hopes of establishing a healthier environment for the entire campus community. The policy was created and implemented by the Smoke Free Implementation Committee. The hopes of Mitchell and the committee were successful. The triumph of the school transitioning into a smoke free campus has resulted in six CSUB students and four staff members quitting smoking as of Sept. 1. On Nov. 22, more than a month after the campaing started, the Business and Administrative Services Office of Human Resources sent out a memorandum. It shared that those students and staff members who successfully stopped smoking received a $10 Starbucks gift card. Smoke free means that the use of cigarettes, pipes, cigars, e-cigarettes, vapor devices, and other tobacco products are prohibited. Ashlee Bowen, a sophomore psychology major, shared her feelings on the campus becoming smoke free. “I think it’s a good thing, even though I smoke. The campus smells fresher and the ground is even a lot cleaner, without all the cigarettes on the floor,” said Bowen. The Kern County Public Health Services Department has a Tobacco Education Program. The program goal is, “to promote tobacco-free living through education, outreach and technical education, access to cessation services, and the promotion of tobacco-free policies and practices.” According to the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, “80-90% of lung cancer deaths could be completely avoided if people did not smoke cigarettes.” Lauren Ashman, who is the health educator in the student health services, is happy to see that CSUB and the entire CSU system has become smoke and tobacco free. “Student Health Services is here to support students who want to quit smoking, Our physicians are available for smoking cessation visits and treatment, including the use of medications, which can be filled at the SHS pharmacy. The SHS pharmacy also offers FDA approved nicotine-replacement therapy products, “Additionally, as the Health Educator, I offer a smoking cessation support group every semester, and I am also available for one-on-one smoking cessation counseling, which includes a discussion of cessation methods.” Stay tuned for the next online issue to read more about the journeys of people who have quit smoking. If you have quit tobacco or know of someone willing to share their story contact: vmorley1@csub.edu
Features
December 6, 2017 STUDENTS
5
Freshmen get their bearings Remember when you had knots in your stomach about college? Not anymore. Photos and story by Allison Lechman Reporter
Audrey Chhun is an 18-yearold kinesiology major. She felt her first semester at CSU Bakersfield was successful. “I expected not to do much here. I expected to just get by my first two years and then transfer,” she said. Her first month at CSUB was a cycle of class and studying, but then something happened. Chhun’s friend encouraged her to try rock climbing at the Student Rec Center. “When my friend took me rock climbing, that’s what basically changed my whole spirit of the school because I really wasn’t into trying to get school spirit,” she said. Now she visits the SRC every day. Chhun is also finding new ways to connect with CSUB. “I’m trying to join a club, basketball club or rock climb-
ing club. One of those [clubs] and just talking to more CSUB people to get involved with the community,” she said. The unknown can be a problem, like trying to find a restroom. On her first day, she spent an hour walking around campus in over 100-degree weather just to find a restroom. “Now every time I give advice to my high school friends that are seniors right now, I tell them to find the bathroom. You better find that stupid bathroom or else you’re going to hate yourself,” she said with a laugh. Having trouble finding the restroom is just one of the first semester kinks that needs to be ironed out. “I thought my first semester went really well. I enjoyed it,” she said.
Henry Nguyen, a 19-year-old freshman, is an international student from Finland. He is studying business marketing and is on the CSU Bakersfield men’s soccer team. “I have never been to the U.S. before. I came four months ago. I didn’t have any idea how things were here,” he said through his Finnish accent. His expectations of America came from what he saw in the media. He watched “Project X,” a movie about a boy in high school who throws an outrageously huge house party. “It doesn’t show the reality,” he said. With a new country and school, Nguyen had many things to get accustomed to. People in Finland do not do small talk like Americans. “The first time I went to Trader Joes I was so shocked
when they asked me, ‘Hey how are you? How was your day? Did you get everything you need?’ In Finland, they just put their stuff on the counter, then you just pay and you leave. You don’t say anything,” he said. “That is the biggest difference. Here they are more open minded. They like to talk. In Finland, we don’t have anything like that,” he said. Along with cultural differences, the education is different. “School is surprisingly easy. Back home I was below average, here I’m an A-B student,” he said. The difference is illustrated by the math class he is currently in is the same math level he was in when as a freshmen in high school. “Overall it has been really good experience for me as international,” he said.
18-year-old freshman, Ariel Portillo, experienced different bumps in his first CSU Bakersfield journey. “[My first semester] went horrible because I didn’t have anyone pushing me to do my work, so I fell behind in all my classes,” he said. With great collegiate freedom comes great responsibility. Professors will not hold your hand or guide you through. “I thought CSUB was going to be a little bit easier [than high school]. Turns out I was extremely wrong. It’s pretty hard,” he said. College can be a shock to students’ systems. Up to this point in their educational careers, almost everything about school has been micromanaged. “In high school you really can’t do much. For example, if you’re out in the restroom and
you take more than 10 minutes you’ll get in trouble. Here you can basically do whatever you want. You can go kick it with your homies, eat, do whatever,” he said. As far as the people and the campus, “It’s like a completely different environment,” he said. Portillo has met many new people during his first semester. “People in high school are stuck up. If you try talking to them they will give you a smart remark, but at CSUB they are friendly,” said Portillo. A college campus is uncharted land for most freshmen. On his first day of class, Portillo parked far and had to walk 10 minutes. “I got so lost,” he said. “I think I’ll do better next semester because I’ll be on my case with stuff and not fall behind,” he said.
6
Games
PUZZLES
December 6, 2017
The Runner Games by The Gamemaster
Star Wars Crossword
Sudoku
Rescue the Runner
Across 2. Inhabitants of the forest moon of Endor 6. Weapon of the Jedi 8. Detroyed the Death Star with one shot 10. Best Fighter pilot in the Resistance 12. Princess Leia’s adopted home planet 13. Was strangled by Princess Leia 16. Episode VIII 18. Stormtrooper FN-2187 19. Was resurrected for Rogue One 20. Given ultimate power by the senate
Down 1. Kylo Ren’s birth name 3. Planet that Rey is a junk peddler on 4. Made Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs 5. Sith lord once known as Anakin Skywalker 7. Luke’s Astromech droid 9. May the _____be with you 11. Wookie Planet 14. Feared bounty hunter 15. Han Solo’s previous career 17. Is fluent in over six million forms of communication Solve all the games and win a chance for a pair of tickets to Paint Nite Return solved game page with your name and email to the Runner office by Friday Dec. 15 by 2pm to be entered into the Paint Nite raffle.
December 6, 2017
Features
7
CLUBS
Women’s Soccer Club is breaking frontiers By Mario Hernandez Reporter CSU Bakersfield has an official Women’s Soccer Club. The club competes with other soccer clubs including UC Santa Barbara, Fresno State, Oregon State, UCLA, and many more. The club is on its third competitive year and pays for a great amount of costs out of pocket, mostly through fundraisers. Assistant Coach Marisol Escudero, a former CSUB student, said the goals have changed since the first year the club had been created. She hopes they will play in a league eventually. “Now we have more girls to play competitively. I think that’s one of the biggest goals we have accomplished this year in comparison to the first year,” said Escudero. The Women’s Soccer Club has not had any league games this semester but will play their first game in the spring 2018 semester. Celine Skibicki, a senior psychology major, has been on the team since it began. She expressed her desire to play against official school teams, such as the Taft College Women’s soccer team or Bakersfield College Women’s Soccer team. Escudero, who also serves as the health, strength and conditioning coach for the Women’s Soccer Club, said it was difficult creating the club and developing it into a competitive team. It was even harder to spread the word about the new club.
“Spreading the word around campus about a club that competes competitively with other universities was difficult,” said Escudero. Jessica Gonzalez, a senior liberal studies majors and coach, explained that the biggest obstacle the club faces is the lack of promotion to potential members. “Lack of promotion [is] definitely one of the biggest concerns, definitely. I think the campus is a good size campus that lends itself for this sort of club,” said Gonzalez. Gonzalez said a reason for starting the club was the need to play. “There were many girls who wanted to play on the actual team but were not granted the chance. The school team doesn’t allow walk-ons,” said Escudero and Gonzalez. The club currently has a roster of 17 girls and two on the injured list. They are in the midst of tryouts and will accept any women willing to commit to the team. “She needs to let me know first. She has two weeks to fill out the paperwork; liabilities, forms that the SRC requires. A 2.0 G.P.A. is required. The main goal is to have 21 girls. If more girls were to come out, then we would just make another team,” said Gonzalez. The club require the players to pay $10 a month to be pay for coaches fees. Previoiusly, the fees were $30 a month, but the club has since been able to decrease that fee. Celine Skibicki, a senior psy-
chology major, has been on the team since it began and said the team has grown. “We have more players now, so that’s great. It’s nice. We have coaches before we had volunteers. The one thing that was good with volunteers was that we didn’t have to pay anything. Coaches fees, we have to pay now. They lowered it now, so we only pay $10,” said Skibicki. Skibicki hopes to fundraise and gain sponserships for the club, so the players wouldn’t have to pay a fee. “It [would] be nice to have no payment at all and having more open options to fund raise or a company to sponsor us so we don’t have to pay out of pocket,” said Skibicki. The club has held many fundraisers in previous years to aid with the budget of keeping the club active. This year the club sold Krispy Kreme donuts and plans on Arturo Castellanos/The Runner having more fundraisers. The official CSU Bakersfield’s Women’s Soccer Club practices on Monday night on Dec. 4. The club competes with other soccer clubs from different universities in California. “$6,000 plus annually is the cost of running [maintaining] itive way to expand someone’s the conflicting practice sched“Do not feel scared to come the club. The school will give social circle but hoped the club ule and school class schedules. out. We are open and very us $3,000 max if it falls within would attempt to spread the Half the girls show up Monfriendly. We will teach you, requirements,” said Gonzalez. word out more. day and the other half would even if you never played socThe funding the school Tai Ann Villamz a senior show up on Thursday. cer. We’re open to teaching you provides covers referee fees, majoring in kinesiology, said “Right now it’s preseason for how to play, how to condition. equipment and supplies, more female clubs like the us, and I want everyone to have We’re very open to new play“The school provides funding Women’s Soccer Club should the same conditioning and not ers and just people who feel for referees, and we’re trying be started at CSUB. wind out, also to have enough inspired to play soccer,” said to get them to fund our league “Basketball club, water polo girls for our first game,” said Skibicki. games as well but equipment because we have a pool, or Escudero. The club holds two practices and all that we have to fund volleyball would be great,” said Skibicki encourages girls to a week and has Coach Marisol ourselves. ASI funds the Villamz. come out and try out with the and Olivia leading the pracWomen’s Soccer Club,” said Coach Escudero said she team [and] to not feel scared to tices, Mondays and Thursdays Gonzalez. runs into the conflict of creating step on the field. Any girl who 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Players Roselle Terre, a senior mateam relations among players is willing to be committed and can contact president Jessica joring in communications at and constructing chemistry on give it their best is more than Gonzalez via email at jgonzaCSUB, saw the creation of the the field among players due to welcome. lez159@csub.edu. Women’s Soccer Club as a pos-
8
Opinions
December 06, 2017
RUNNER ON THE STREET By Alee Gonzalez
This week The Runner asked, “How safe do you consider CSUB?” Jack Dixon History, 44
“As far as safety, they do the evacuation drills every semester. They’re doing a lot of renovations and repairs to the old buildings to ensure the foundations and everything is intact. So, I feel like it’s safe.”
Rachal Garcia Biology, 21
“It’s pretty safe considering they have the campus police around all of the buildings now, and I’ve noticed that they have them walking through the library. I do feel though that in the parking lot, there could be more of a police presence.”
Joel Gaxiola Engineering, 22
“Pretty safe, actually. I don’t worry about walking to my car at night or anything. I always see campus officers that are always there if we have any questions or need any help.”
Joanna DeWitt Biochemistry, 18 “At night I definitely don’t like walking around campus alone. I live in the dorms, and you need a key card to get in so I don’t feel like there’s any safety issues there.”
REVIEW
A non-foodie tries Café Rio By Jarad Mann Photo Editor For as long as I could remember, the lot of land at the corner of Stockdale Highway and Coffee Road. had been empty. On a daily basis, I would drive by and wonder to myself when this patch of land will be developed. Well, it seems as if my curiousness is being satisfied. Construction started in the spring of 2017, and as soon as I saw tractors tilling the Earth, I eagerly awaited for some kind
Simer Khumar/The Runner
Construction of Café Rio was completed in late Nov. 2017.
of sign to be posted to notify me what was being built. Then it happened. A variety of retail stores and eateries were going to be opening, including a Sully’s Chevron gas station with a Smith’s Bakery and a hotel. However, the crème de la crème is taking center stage and being located just a hop, skip and a jump away from the CSU Bakersfield campus. Of course, I am talking about the building with three restaurants, the almost complete Blaze Pizza, Jersey Mike’s, and the now open Café Rio. With choices being somewhat limited on campus, it is nice to know that these establishments are just a minute away from the thousands of hungry students eager for a reasonably priced yet delicious meal. Café Rio has a manifesto, and in one word, it best describes their delicious Mexican cuisine – Fresh! Yes, fresh produce delivered daily and hand made freshly rolled tortillas that taste great. Café Rio employs a farm-totable methodology ensuring that their vegetables and meats are of the finest quality. This
Simer Khumar/The Runner Café Rio is a unique new addition to the cuisine options near CSU Bakersfield. It is a taste of fresh produce combined with delicious cooking.
becomes obvious once you take your first bite of their many delicious dishes. Whether you are a fan of tacos, burritos, enchiladas or,
STAFF EDITORIAL
my favorite, quesadillas, you will taste the freshness with each bite. Another important staple when it comes to Mexican restaurants is the chips
and salsa. Café Rio does not disappoint. Their tortilla chips are made fresh daily, and their salsa hits in all the right spots at just the right time.
So if you are in the mood for a decently priced delicious Mexican meal head on over to Café Rio. This non-foodie lover of food may see you there.
U.S. POLITICS
Clery report: fails Tax haste makes waste California State University, Bakersfield underrepresents the crimes that happen on its campus. While CSUB does comply with the federally mandated Clery Report, it does not give the public, or its students, an accurate snapshot of the crime on campus. It would make more sense to see, before committing to a university, all aspects of the university. Much like a campus tour, students should be able to see an accurate and detailed list of the crimes on campus. Unfortunately, the Clery Report does not accurately depict the amount of incidents related to CSUB. Claudia Catota is the assistant to the President and the Title IX coordinator. She alongside Lieutenant Williams, a Clery button on University Police Department’s logging system are responsible for determining an incident “Clery reportable.” By being selective on what gets recorded in the report, our campus appears to be crimefree, but actually is not. The Clery Report for the last three years has zeros in almost every category of crime. As much as we as students would love to believe this about our university, it is not factual. The invalidity of this report makes us, as journalists, question those who create and oversee this report and poses a question regarding whether or not the CSUB administration is attempting to hide something.
If the Clery Report is being viewed by potential students and their parents, would we not want to be as transparent as possible? The editorial staff recognizes that the school is only complying with the Clery Report’s parameters; however, the Editorial board demands the CSUB administration, with the help of UPD, produce a separate list that includes all of the crimes on campus. That list should include all of the reports of sexual assault, sexual misconduct, burglary and stalking. While victims should remain anonymous, the report should contain four essential elements regarding the information provided. Firstly, the information should have an accurate description of what the incident was. It should not contain ambiguous language, and it should call the crime by its actual name. The second piece of unambiguous information should be the time and place of the incident. The third piece of information should explicitly state whether the suspect was a student, faculty member, or a person with no relation to the university. This should be done without naming the victims. The fourth and final piece of information the report should include the outcomes. Student Housing, UPD, the Title IX coordinator, and the campus advocate should all keep files of everything
Editor’s note The Staff Editorial is an unsigned opinion story that reflects The Runner editorial board’s stance on an issue. We invite our readers to join the discussion by sending us a letter to the editor at runner@csub.edu.
recorded by students, staff and faculty. At the end of the year, much like the Clery Report, the campus needs to disseminate that information to all of the campus. There is a separate report made by CSUB called the Title IX Annual Report. This is a report that is put together by the Title IX coordinator and unlike the Clery Report, it is not federally mandated. The CSU Office requires that universities and colleges report all Title IX violations. Unfortunately, this report is not sent out to everyone on the campus. Although it is available to view, it is difficult to find. The report is a start, but much work is needed to truly be transparent and accurate. We cannot benefit the university by only reporting positive stories. We as students also have to stop relying on the report and claiming that we have low crime rates when in fact, we are not sure what our crime statistics actually are.
By Veronica Morley Features Editor How much do you know about the Republicans’ tax bill that just passed the Senate? If the answer is not much, and you are not a wealthy CEO with a private jet, stock options and land, you may be shocked next year come tax season. If you were to ask our GOP representatives or our president, they would tell you how amazing this bill is for our economy. Especially for us young adults and middle income individuals. According to Congress, we are getting a huge tax break. However, the day before the Senate was to vote on the magical tax bill, the Joint Committee on Taxation hit them with a little dose of reality. On Nov. 30, they released their economic analysis of the bill stating that over a period of 10 years the budget deficit would raise $1 trillion. Sounds like a break, right? Jim Tankersley, who reports on taxes and the economy for the New York Times, said that when Republicans were confronted with the report and the large deficit, their response was basically that it is not true. “Republicans are just really true believers in the growth power of tax cuts, and they have talked themselves into the idea that these cuts will pay for themselves even though no other credible model of this bill that we’ve seen has suggested
they would come anywhere close,” said Tankersley on the NYT podcast, The Daily. This blind devotion to a person, idea or program, even though all the facts, history and experts say it will not work, sounds almost like a crazy cult or, you know, Republicans and their tax bill. Most of the Republican representatives wanted to move forward with the bill but Rep. Bob Corker and Rep. Jeff Flake thought that just maybe they should question the bill and look into this report. It was reminiscent of that scene in the movie “World War Z,” when Gerry (Brad Pitt) meets Mossad leader Jurgen Warmbruun (Ludi Boeken) to ask him why he believed a random memo foretelling of a zombie apocalypse. Warmbruun tells him that after the Jews did not heed warnings about the Holocaust, the 1972 Olympics, or the threat of Arab troops, they changed their way of looking at possible threats. He says that if nine of their officials look at a problem and all believe it is nothing, it is up to the 10th man to disagree, no matter what. Well it looks like Corker and Flake were our 10th (and 11th) man to save us from the apocalypse. When the Senate denied the tax bill, House Republicans went back to the drawing board to look at the issues and very carefully address the deficit.
After long consideration and careful deliberation, the Republicans produced a thoughtful new tax reform bill for the great American people. Just kidding. The Republicans revised the tax bill as if they were students who waited until the night before to write their 30-page term paper and now are just trying to meet the word count. President Trump tweeted on Dec. 2, “Biggest Tax Bill and Tax Cut in history just passed in the Senate. Now these great Republicans will be going for final passage. Thank you to House and Senate Republicans for your hard work and commitment!” Trump’s support for this tax bill has never wavered. I guess it goes to show that as far as loyalty, even Trump can pull it off at times. But Trump did not write this tax bill and is not to blame for its shortcomings. But do we really have to hear one more time how much Trump’s corporate friends hate him for supporting this or watch him call our troops in Afghanistan to tell them they can expect a flood of tax cuts when they return? Because if there is one thing our military men and women want to come home to, it is tax cuts. This tax bill may not be the end of the world, but it is not the economic fix that our leaders promised us.
Sports
December 6, 2017
9
BIG WEST
CSUB continues to adapt to D-I
Move to Big West Conference illustrates progress for athletics By Vincent Perez Assistant Sports Editor An overall buzz can be felt in the sports programs at CSU Bakersfield since the change from Division II to Division I in July 2010 and into the Western Athletic Conference in July 2013. Since the change from D-II, CSUB athletics has received more media attention than ever before. The men’s basketball program has faced top-25 opponents, made its debut in the NCAA tournament in 2016, and last season reached the National Invitational Tournament semifinals in the world-famous Madison Square Garden. Those accomplishments would not have been done without jumping to D-I. In recent years, the volleyball team has won two of the last four WAC Championships and the team faced No. 3 Stanford in the NCAA Tournament this season. Cross-country athletes have competed at the NCAA West Regionals, and swimmers have competed at U.S. Nationals. Some programs at CSUB could be suffering from jet lag on competition days, but with CSUB’s move to the Big West Conference in 2020, that could all be in the past. CSUB President Horace Mitchell announced in a press conference in the Icardo Center, on Nov. 27, that effective July 1, 2020, the Roadrunners were invited to join the Big West Conference along with UC San Diego. Long Beach State, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, Cal State Fullerton, Cal Poly, UC Santa Barbara, CSU
Northridge and the University of Hawaii are the institutions currently in the Big West. Beach Volleyball is already a member of the Big West, and wrestling is a member of the Pac-12. With the exception of Hawaii, all of the schools in the conference are only a few hours away. This means road trips will be via bus rather than air. The average trip in the WAC is 2,422 miles. It is only 814 miles in the Big West and only 302 miles, if Hawaii is excluded, according to gorunners. com.
“For every sport, we have grown and shown that we are capable to be a good institution.” Giovana Melo, CSUB Director of Volleyball According to gorunners.com, the travel expenses will be trimmed roughly $400,000 per year. Also, once the move happens, the student-athletes will be able to spend more time in class. Men’s Basketball Head Coach Rod Barnes said, “It’s somewhat of a fulfillment [to join the Big West Conference], we did it.” He continued, “To see this happen while I’m here is something really special to me.” Barnes called the 2016 NCAA tournament qualification a
highlight for the men’s basketball program. CSUB lost in Oklahoma City to Oklahoma University 82-68, yet Barnes is happy with the progress that the program has gone through since his tenure began in 2011, when CSUB became an independent Division I university. Recent ranked opponents have faced the Roadrunners and while they have beaten CSUB, the lessons learned are there. Barnes called the game against No. 25 UCLA on Nov. 29 a stepping stone. “When you talk about UCLA, you talk about one of the most recognized basketball programs in the world. To have the opportunity to go play them is something we’ve been working on and it’s a good thing for us.” Men’s Basketball Director of Operations, Brandon Barnes played for CSUB from 20102014. Barnes, son of Rod Barnes, said, “I played in the WAC, so obviously there’s a pride for being in the WAC.” Barnes spoke highly of the men’s program. The Division I change offered more national exposure, and so will the Big West Conference. “They feel ready. It’s exciting to play in places you see on TV. To play against guys maybe you were overlooked by who are NBA prospects, and to compete against them is exciting,” said Barnes. Director of Volleyball Giovana Melo, who is in her fourth year at CSUB, said at the Nov. 27 press conference she was grateful for her student athletes’ schedules. “I think being able to play around California is a big thing,” said Melo. “For every
WRESTLING
Peter Castillo/The Runner
Brent Wrapp, a CSUB redshirt-senior guard, passes the ball to a teammate on Wednesday, Nov. 29 at Pauley Pavilion. CSUB lost 66-75 in their second-meeting ever.
sport, we have grown and shown that we are capable to be a good institution.” Melo is thankful for the opportunity to be a coach at CSUB. She said, “I am very
excited for this step forward that we will take in the Big West.” The CSUB men will compete in the Big West in basketball, soccer, baseball and track and
field in 2020. The women will compete in the Big West in basketball, cross-country, softball, golf, soccer, track and field, volleyball and beach volleyball.
Expected to join Big West Conference in 2020 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
CSUB’s Williams places fifth Roadrunners’ offense in Las Vegas invitational smothered by SMU in loss By Vincent Perez Assistant Sports Editor
By Peter Castillo Sports Editor
Two CSU Bakersfield wrestlers reached fifth-place matches in the Dec. 1-2 Cliff Klein Las Vegas Invitational. Competition was at an all-time high at the two-day tournament. No. 9-ranked senior Matt Williams, at 197 pounds, lost 10-4 in the first round to Ohio State’s Kollin Moore. Moore is ranked No. 1 in the country and Williams was previously undefeated in his weight class this season before losing. Williams, an Apple Valley, California native, bounced back after his loss and pinned No. 14 Jeric Kasunic, from American University and won by major decision (7-0) over Drexel’s Stephen Loiseau, in the fifthplace match for 197. Redshirt-junior, No. 19 Sean Nickell (133), who won his weight class championship at the Roadrunner Open last month, lost in the round of 16 to North Carolina’s Zach Sherman, 4-3. CSUB had other wrestlers compete but not proceed past the round of 16. Coleman Hammond (157), a redshirt-senior, won his first two matches, but lost his last two matches. Hammond, a Bakersfield native, lost 6-4 in the fifth-place match to Archie Colgan, of Wyoming. Redshirt-senior Sergio Mendez (125) lost his firstround match to Ethan Lizak, of Minnesota, 9-6. Russell Rohlfing, a redshirt-sophomore, exited the first
The CSU Bakersfield women’s basketball team was stifled on the offensive end against Southern Methodist University on Sunday, Dec. 3 in a 41-29 loss. The Roadrunners (3-4) only shot 19 percent from the floor including only 4-for-29 in the second half. Sunday’s contest was an offensive struggle that saw SMU (4-5) goes scoreless in the second quarter and saw CSUB score only three points in the fourth. While the 41 points allowed was a season-low for the Roadrunners, the 29 points scored was also a season-low. Coming into the game, the Mustangs were scoring 67 points per contest. The loss drops CSUB to 1-4 on the road. CSUB senior forward Aja Williams led all scorers with 12 points, but she shot only 5-16. Williams also grabbed seven rebounds. The Roadrunners led 16-13 at halftime and 26-24 after three quarters. The Mustangs outscored CSUB 17-3 in the final quarter to take the lead and put the game away. The CSUB bench outscored the SMU bench 23-7. The Mustangs outrebounded the Roadrunners 49-40. Redshirt-senior center Jazmyne Bartee scored four points, pulled down five boards, blocked two shots and recorded two steals, but shot
Simer Khurana/The Runner
Heavyweight redshirt-freshman Jarrod Snyder throws heavyweight redshirt-sophomore Dominic Balmer in the Icardo Center on Saturday, Oct. 21 during the Blue-Gold Dual.
round as well. Rohlfing lost to Pittsburgh’s Nick Zantta 10-6. In the round of 16, redshirt-sophomore No. 20 Lorenzo De La Riva (165) was beaten by Isaiah White of Nebraska. Ohio State won first place, with 155.5 overall team points, Michigan was second and Arizona State finished third. CSUB finished 16th out of 45 teams in a highly competitive two-day tournament. The Roadrunners travel to Fresno Friday, Dec. 8, for a
Fresno State dual. The Roadrunners then travel for a dual with Northwestern in San Luis Obispo, Dec. 15. The Roadrunners head back to Nevada for the Reno Tournament of Champions, Dec. 17. CSUB will continute their season and face opponents such as Duke, Wyoming and No. 12 Arizona State before Pac-12 Championships, Feb. 25. The Roadrunners season will lead to the NCAA Championships March 15-17, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Future schedule for men’s wrestling: Fresno State - Dec. 8 Northwestern @ San Luis Obispo, CA - Dec. 15 Reno Tournament of Champions - Dec. 17 Southern Scuffle @ Chattanooga, TN - Jan. 1-2 Wyoming - Jan. 12 Duke, Northern Colorado @ Greely, CO - Jan. 14
Photo courtesy of SMU Athletics
CSUB freshman center Vanessa Austin chases down SMU’s Ariana Whitfield on Sunday, Dec. 3 in Dallas, TX.
only 1-for-9 from the floor in the loss. SMU senior center Klara Bradshaw grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds. The Roadrunners won 46-45 on the road at Southern Utah on Nov. 27. Williams posted 17 points in the narrow win against the Thunderbirds. Defensively, CSUB limited to 34 percent in the game and SMU shot 19 percent from the 3-point line. Bartee helped the Roadrunners. She shot 3-for-9 on the night, with 10 points. She also had two blocks and two turnovers against the Thunderbirds. CSUB won the fourth quarter 15-14 that led to the team victory. According to gorunners.com, Head Coach Greg McCall said, “All the way down to the buzzer, the girls hung tough.”
He added, “We played really well defensively. We struggled a little bit offensively, but we got the buckets we needed and got the stops we needed. I’m proud we got that first road win. It was a tough atmosphere because of the altitude.” Up next, CSUB is scheduled to travel to Southern California to take on UC Riverside on Wednesday, Dec. 6 at 11 a.m. The Roadrunners will return to the Icardo Center on Saturday, Dec. 16 when they take on Whittier College at 4 p.m. CSUB continues play through the winter break. The Roadrunners host the University of Nebraska Omaha Dec. 18 at 7 p.m. in the Icardo Center. Then, CSUB will hit the road with games at Boise State, Dec. 20 and at Cal Poly, Dec. 29.
10 Sports
December 6, 2017
VOLLEYBALL
Roadrunners’ season comes to end CSUB swept by Stanford in first round of NCAA Tournament By Johnathan Wheatley Reporter PALO ALTO, Calif. – It’s a different year but same result for the CSU Bakersfield volleyball team. In the first round of the Division I, Women’s Volleyball Championship, the Roadrunners fell in straight sets once again to Stanford University. The Cardinal are the reigning national champions. CSUB finished its season with a record of 19-13. The Roadrunners went into the NCAA tournament as the Western Athletic Conference champions after defeating the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, who were the defending conference champions. CSUB came out in the first set on fire. With help from redshirt-senior middle blocker Sydney Haynes and senior outside hitter Aleksandra Djordjevic, the Roadrunners opened the set with a 6-4 lead over the Cardinal. “We were prepared; we knew what we were going up against,” said Haynes,“We just had the heart and we were ready to go.” Haynes was the lone member on the team who was part of the 2014 team which also made it to the NCAA tournament. She finished with six kills, a service ace and a block for the Roadrunners. Djordjevic also added a teamhigh seven kills, nine digs and two service aces. “I had a great team behind my back, and four great seniors that
had my back,” said Djordjevic on her time at CSUB. “I got the team behind me. I got this team forever.” The Roadrunners had a tough time scoring points once Stanford tied the game at six a piece. The Cardinal went on a 18-4 run to take a 24-10 lead. Djordjevic would get a kill to end the run but CSUB could not rally and fell 25-11 in the first set. In the second set, Stanford took the early lead and never looked back as they scored the set’s first four points.
“I had a great team behind my back, and four great seniors that had my back. I got the team behind me. I got this team forever.” Aleksandra Djordevic, Senior Outside Hitter Stanford was relentless by not allowing consecutive points to be scored. When the Roadrunners managed to score a point, the Cardinals would answer back by scoring two or three or more every time. Stanford jumped out to a 13-3 lead in the second set, but the resilience of CSUB showed as they would try to fight back in the set.
The Roadrunners managed to only get within eight points in the set, as CSUB fell in the second set 25-15. The Roadrunners went into halftime down two sets to none. During the second set, redshirt-senior middle blocker Haylee Roberts injured her ankle and was forced to miss the remainder of her final game for CSUB. The third set saw the Roadrunners take an early 3-1 lead over Stanford. The Cardinal woke up and went on a 17-2 run and took a commanding 18-5 lead. CSUB fought its way to stay competitive in the third set but fell short of a comeback, falling 25-17 and dropping straight sets. “I’m proud of the way they came back, even the end of the third set, they continued to battle,” said Director of Volleyball Giovana Melo on their match against Stanford. Junior outside hitter Briannah Mariner finished with six kills and a dig. She will be the lone senior on next year’s team. Senior setter Fabiana Andrade had 10 assists and six digs on the night. Redshirt-sophomore setter Sidney Wicks ended the night with a team-leading 13 assists. Friday, Dec. 1 was the final game for CSUB’s seniors Haynes, Djordevic, Roberts, Andrade and libero Emily Lopes. Lopes had eight digs and an assist against Stanford. Melo and the Roadrunners will look to repeat as WAC
Christopher Mateo/The Runner
Senior libero Emily Lopes sets for a potential kill against Stanford University in the first round of the Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship in Palo Alto, California.
champions and make a return to the NCAA Tournament in 2018. CSUB is scheduled to host the WAC tournament at the Icardo Center next year. With the win, Stanford advanced to the second round of the tournament where it defeated Colorado State University, 3-0 the following night. The Cardinal are now headed to the Sweet Sixteen where they will face the University of Wisconsin on Friday, Dec. 8 at 8 p.m. in Palo Alto.
CSUB 11 Stanford 25
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